Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 pray their American tour will sell out, but how could it not? Demand is pent up, gents!
I know we just started rambling about the latest China Crisis album, but today I’ll have to post this breaking news instead! Possibly the one band I now want to see live more than any other are Heaven 17. I always loved their music, but they never toured in their heyday. Not until they reformed in the late 90s did they entertain the notion. And they never played in America. Oh, they were pencilled in on a retro package that would have seen them bundled together with fellow Sheffielders ABC back in 2009 on the Regeneration Tour, so I was hot to attend, but they bailed out of it, thankfully, before I bought tickets. In retrospect, I should have gone to see ABC, even if Belinda Carlisle and Cutting Crew were on the bill…maybe. Losing H17 definitely made it a deal killer for me.
But in 2009, I was not quite the Heaven 17 fan that I am today. Their killer live album, “Live At Metropolis Studios,” from 2013, was a revelation to these ears; featuring an immense live lineup that fully and powerfully took their songbook live for the first time ever. I’d seen and heard previous tours that were albums or DVDs and they were adequate, but no more. After seeing the Metropolis show, this band shot to the top of my live wish list.
Now they will be playing in New York City at the Highline Ballroom on September 27th!
Then on Saturday, September 30th, they will be playing the Music Tastes Good Festival in Long Beach, California.
This was just released out into the world this morning, and I really have no idea about the how or why of these shows, sandwiched as they are into their normal touring schedule in a highly awkward fashion, as seen below:
Heaven 17 | Summer-Winter World Tour | 2017
Fri, Aug 18 | The Picturedrome | Holmfirth, GB
Sun, Aug 20 | Temple Island Meadows | Henley On Thames, GB
Sat, Sep 23 | The Exchange | Sturminster Newton, GB
Wed, Sep 27 | Highline Ballroorm | New York City, NY
Sat, Sep 30 | The Music Tastes Good Festival | Long Beach, CA
Fri, Nov 10 | Foundry | Sheffield , GB
Sat, Nov 11 | Hangar 34 | Liverpool, GB
Fri, Nov 17 | The Welly | Kingston Upon Hull, GB
Sat, Nov 18 | Academy | Manchester, GB
Fri, Nov 24 | Copper Rooms | Warwick, GB
Sat, Nov 25 | Waterfront | Norwich, GB
Sat, Dec 2 | ULU | London, GB
Fri, Dec 15 | Dobbie Hall | Falkirk , GB
Sat, Dec 16 | Grand Hall | Kilmarnock, GB
Sun, Dec 17 | Assembly | Aberdeen, GB
I’d really love to attend, but there’s just no way, outside of going into debt, that it could happen right now. There are lots of trips for us happening this year. Lots of shows. Heck, I’ll be seeing The Church the night before where I live. My angst is tempered somewhat by the suspicion that this will not be the “full monty” killa seven piece lineup of my dreams, but a trimmed down variation with Berenice Scott on computer/keys with the core duo of Ware and Gregory. If I knew for a fact that this would e the same band as on Metropolis, I would be selling off some “family jewels” from the Record Cell to finance going. But don’t let my budget stop you, if you’ve an inclination!
Tickets go on sale this Friday the 18th at noon for the Highline show here. $30-$55 but my advice is, don’t scrimp. Treat yourself. The tickets for the Music Tastes Good Festival in Long Beach are already on sale here. At the very least, I’m hopeful that some North American fans who frequent the pages here can make it for me and report back with their findings.
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Post-Punk Monk 
ARRRGGH!!!! On 27, September I will be at the Roundhouse in London watching Sparks…but this will be in the back of my mind. One of the last thing I need to see in my lifetime is Heaven 17 perform Height Of The Fighting live and in person. This might have been that opportunity to make it happen in the USA…The music Gods are toying with me…
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Echorich – Don’t I know it! If anything could taint seeing Sparks at the Roundhouse, that might do it. Unless it was the first time you had ever seen Sparks, in which case it’s right and proper to see Sparks over any and all comers. What’s your schedule? Perhaps you can take the M3 to the Sturminster Newton gig at The Exchange the previous Saturday, stopping along the way, of course, to visit…
“Stonehenge, where the demons dwell!!”
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27 September is my only full day in the UK – off to Cadiz, Spain on the 28th for 5 days. It’s no my first Sparks show and it will likely be the last, unless they tour the US and it’s doable. In the end, maybe this coastal bounce that Martyn and Glenn have decided to do will convince them to bring H17 in full complement back sometime soon. There is a new album somewhere on the horizon…
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Echorich – Arrrgh!! Well I get it with Sparks. They are not spring chickens [but you could have fooled me back in ’13]. As for H17, something is obviously up. Who is bankrolling these shows? It can’t be cheap to undertake a two date tour of America…and how did they manage to get work visas?!
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A Church show in Ashe-vegas. Miracles never cease. God bless the Grey Eagle
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Richard McKinney – So you’re local then? I guess I’ll see you there. Assuming that it hasn’t already sold out. After all, it’s the only date in the state.
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Monk,
I am local, yes. I will be there. I have not heard that it has sold out. Not the typical Asheville scene, if you know what I mean. Just saw them in Nashville in July. New album showcase for this tour. I’m pretty excited. I have thanked Jeff at Grey Eagle profusely. i know that he had worked on getting the band here for quite some time.
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Richard McKinley – Well, I am well acquainted with the whole “pearls before swine” aspect of professional music in Asheville! If it’s not bluegrass or jam bands, it’s hard to scare up a proper audience. How many times have I seen a show at the Grey Eagle [or even The Orange Peel] where the audience is appallingly modest? All time worst? John Cale at The Orange Peel! Maybe 50 there for a transcendently masterful performance in 2004!
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To be honest, I’ve always dreaded the Church would actually play our fair town.
I remember a P-Furs show that had embarrassingly low attendance. Fingers and toes crossed.
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Richard McKinney – That Furs show must have been their second trip to The Orange Peel. Their first appearance was on July 8, 2011and they were touring “Talk Talk Talk” to a mostly full house. Then they came back a second time; maybe even later the same year. In any case less than 12 months later and I did not attend, owing to budgetary issues. Presumably, that was the ill-attended show you reference. Well, what did they expect double dipping in such a small market like Asheville?
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Monk,
I attended both. Your assessment is correct on both accounts.
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Ahh, you’re killin’ me with this news, Monk! H17 are also on my live bucket list, and I live in Philly so the NY show should be a no-brainer. However, I don’t like to attend weekday shows at home, much less 100 miles away. On the other hand, H17 have never performed in the US, and may never be here again. I’ve already resigned myself to forego seeing two other weekday concerts in NYC next month: Front 242 on Sep 19 and Saint Etienne on Sep 25. But I may have to bite the bullet for Gregory and Ware (and perhaps go up two days early to swoon over Sarah Cracknell?)
I remember H17 pulling out of the 2009 Regeneration Tour – that completely diminished my interest, as well. On the other hand, the 2008 Regeneration Tour (Human League, ABC, A Flock Of Seagulls, Belinda Carlisle, and Naked Eyes) was surprisingly entertaining. I missed most of Pete Byrne’s acoustic opener, Carlisle and Fry used the same backing band and both were very good, Mike Score’s Seagulls were mediocre, and The Human League were way too serious for a retro tour (although their set was solid).
Come noon this Friday, I suspect that I’ll be at the ready to purchase tickets. Thanks, Monk.
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Shelf – St. Etienne two days earlier?! That’s a deal maker right there!! Once in 2002 I had the prospect of Simple Minds in D.C. tempting me and when The Rezillos were announced the day before that was it!! Go and tell us everything!
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I think I’ve seen the Church more than any other band, now they are the opposite of H17, much easier to see in the States than the UK! I’m sure they will be excellen as ever.
Gig wise here it’s very busy, have 16 lined up in the next 4 months.
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Wow, I am — for once — the king of this here hill! I saw H17 twice in October last year: an intimate (and crowded) gig in Camden, and a full-on H17/BEF show with special guests in Birmingham (and some incredibly nice swag and private chatting afterwards!). So yes: I’ve seen “Height of the Fighting” live! Due to my current location, I’ll see about attending the Long Beach show rather than the NYC one, but any chance to ever see H17 live **must not be missed.**
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chasinvictoria – Do it for PPM on American soil, buckaroo!
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